Charles Leclerc will start the United States Grand Prix from pole position after Max Verstappen had his best lap in qualifying deleted for track limits.

Leclerc was rapid throughout the session but looked to have been beaten by 0.005s by the champion-elect at the end of Qualifying 3.

However, Verstappen ran wide at the penultimate corner which saw his lap deleted, promoting Leclerc back to the top of the timesheets.

The Dutchman will instead line up sixth, while Lando Norris will start from second and Oscar Piastri in the other McLaren 10th.

A sighting lap for Logan Sargeant saw the Williams driver out and back in as Qualifying 1 began.

Norris and Leclerc completed their first timed laps of the session to leave the Ferrari atop the timing screens with a 1:36.622s ahead of his McLaren rival by 0.018s.

Piastri was within shouting distance, just 0.2s back after his initial effort lap in Qualifying 1.

Predictably, Verstappen set the pace when he banked his first lap, a 1:36.470s.

A scrappy lap from Lewis Hamilton saw the Mercedes driver run wide at the first corner, before a snap of oversteer forced him to jump off the throttle at the penultimate corner.

That left him sixth best with a 1:36.742s on a lap that could have been much faster.

Track evolution was strong with Nico Hulkenberg shooting to the top of the timesheets with his first flying lap, logging a 1:36.235s.

Sitting only 18th after his first lap, Sainz rose to provisional pole with his later effort on a 1:35.824s with little over five minutes remaining.

With the cut-off to progress expected to be 1:36.4, Sainz was the only driver not to head back out for another lap.

Verstappen moved back to the top with a 1:35.346s, Red Bull sandwiching Sainz as Sergio Perez went third best with a 1:35.989s.

Hamilton went faster still to record a 1:30.091s, while Norris slotted in second best, 0.019s slower than the Mercedes driver.

A late lap from Daniel Ricciardo saw the Australian escape the drop zone, only to be pushed back down as others completed a lap.

He ended the session 15th fastest, scraping through with a 1:36.213s, while team-mate Yuki Tsunoda in the sister car was fifth best by 0.3s.

Missing the cut were Hulkenberg, Fernando Alonso, Alex Albon, Lance Stroll, and Sargeant.

It was a disastrous session for Aston Martin, finishing 17th and 19th on a weekend saw the squad introduce upgrades – the first time Alonso has missed the cut in Qualifying 1 in 2023.

As Qualifying 2 began, the two Ferrari and two Mercedes headed out soon after the pit exit went green.

That initial flurry left George Russell fastest ahead of Hamilton, the provisional pole time a 1:35.759s on new tyres.

Piastri then usurped that with a 1:35.576s to hold provisional pole, briefly, before Verstappen completed his lap in 1:35.491s.

Norris in the other McLaren had his first lap deleted for track limits at the penultimate corner, a 1:35.981s which would have seen him eighth.

Having shown encouraging pace in Qualifying 1, both Alpine drivers were rapid once more, slotting in third and fourth, Esteban Ocon ahead of Pierre Gasly, after their first push laps.

With four minutes remaining, the circuit became a hive of activity as all 15 remaining drivers headed back out.

Leclerc and Sainz improved to head the session, though their laps were completed with some 90 seconds remaining.

Behind them, Verstappen was on a better lap, though it proved 0.004s slower than Leclerc to slot in behind the Monegasque.

Norris shot up to fourth with a 1:35.441s though others remained on fast laps.

That became fifth when Hamilton improved, pushing Tsunoda to 10th, which became 11th and out as others improved.

Ricciardo had a lap deleted, though it was slower than his earlier best (1:26.437s) and he remained 15th with a 1:35.974s.

He was joined on the sidelines by Kevin Magnussen, Valtteri Bottas, Zhou Guanyu, and Tsunoda.

Perez scraped through for Red Bull in 10th, just 0.018s faster than Tsunoda had managed.

The opening exchanges left Leclerc quickest on a 1:34.829s while Verstappen could only muster a 1:35.081s – his final corner compromised by Perez who was on track immediately ahead and starting his timed lap.

Russell’s initial lap was deleted for track limits, a 1:35.682s, as team-mate Hamilton was second quickest, 0.056s back from Leclerc.

The provisional pole-sitter kicked off the final runs, completing a 1:34.723s.

Verstappen locked up into Turn 1 as he began his lap, while Norris rose to second best with a 1:34.853s.

Despite the puff of smoke as he crested the hill, Verstappen remained rapid enough to seize pole.

He banked a 1:34.718s to steal the spot by 0.005s, a time that was soon deleted after he ran off the road at Turn 19.

That relegated him to fifth, leaving Leclerc and Norris on the front row.

Hamilton was third from Sainz, then came Russell, Verstappen, Gasly, Ocon, Perez, and Piastri.